Art Spiel – Page 36 – Contemporary Art and Culture

Exhibition Review by Melissa Stern

Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson: Character Studies, Curator: Character Studies at Fort Gansvoort

“She was weird,” said the Columbus Museum of Art curator affectionately of artist Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson at the press preview celebrating the late artist’s work. She went on to explain that Robinson made her own art supplies, lived an unconventional and rich life, making art in many mediums and acted as an informal archivist and raconteur of her community. “Weird,” in this context is a high compliment. Fort Gansevoort, an eccentric gallery in New York’s Meatpacking District announced its representation of Robinson’s estate (1940-2015) in collaboration with the Columbus Museum, to which Robinson bequeathed her work and archives. It’s a perfect match between artist and gallery.

Exhibition Highlights by Yasmeen Abdallah

Art Spiel Picks for January 2025: The Earthly and Celestial in Manhattan

HIGHLIGHTS

Cecilia Vicuña, Lorna Simpson and Nour Mobarak powerfully and eloquently broach heavy subject matter with diligent research in their attempts to preserve significant stories amidst the burdens of colonialism. Each artist speaks to various experiences as they contend with complicated histories of peoples, lands, and the dynamics between them in an array of circumstances. These exhibitions take on the task of engaging with past and present, depicting resourcefulness and perseverance amid the tangled threads of imperialism that wreak havoc across the globe. Viewers are offered context as they enter works that embody life through organic matter, curious objects, and ethereal modalities.

Book Review by Paul D'Agostino

Looking Back, Topping Off: 2024 Books

book review

I had the pleasure of reading quite a few remarkable books this year. I had the additional pleasure of reviewing a number of them for Art Spiel.

I reviewed Rapper’s Deluxe: How Hip Hop Made the World, Dr. Todd Boyd’s sweeping and lushly illustrated account of hip hop history, published by Phaidon, back around its release date in February. You can read my full review here: “Even Greater Days: Rapper’s Deluxe: How Hip Hop Made the World”.

Exhibition Review by Riad Miah

Abstraction by Any Other Name at the Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation

The exhibition Abstraction by Any Other Name, curated by Dan Cameron at the Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation, celebrates the diverse approaches to abstract painting among eight contemporary artists: Jane Fine, Matthew Kolodziej, Regina Scully, Lui Shtini, Louise Belcourt, Iva Gueorguieva, Jill Moser, and Frank Owen. The show, running from September 6, 2024, to February 8, 2025, is presented in two parts, each highlighting different artists.

In Dialogue by Etty Yaniv

Heather Cox: Roundels at Hudson Guild

In Dialogue

Heather Cox, a sculptor and photographer, discovered an unexpected medium in snapshots. Years ago, when she had her camera film developed, the 1-hour photo lab often provided double prints. Over time, these duplicates, along with countless other photos, accumulated in boxes. Unable to part with them, they lingered in storage—until the COVID pandemic brought a sudden shift.

HOT AIR by Etty Yaniv

Oskar Landi: Trekking unfamiliar environments

Hot Air

Oskar Landi was born and raised in Italy. In 1998, he moved to New York to pursue art, arriving with two tools: a saxophone and a camera. Over time, the camera became the better instrument for making a living. With several years of experience as a photo assistant in Europe, he adapted to New York’s photography industry, building a basic commercial and editorial client base that allowed him to sustain himself while continuing to explore the medium’s possibilities.

Nancy Elsamanoudi, Donut Dog at Dog House Gallery, courtesy of the the artist

Exhibition Highlights by Anna Shukeylo

Art Spiel Picks: Just for Laughs Exhibitions in December 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

From Manhattan to Brooklyn, there is funny business happening in the galleries this holiday season, quite literally. Portraits of humorous creatures in a solo exhibition titled Donut Dog by Nancy Elsamanoudi at Doghouse Gallery are an opening act to the performances at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective. Slightly absurd paintings of “Lost” posters by Jeffrey Morabito crack a joke in a two-person exhibition titled Flat Theater at Space 776 (CLOSING DECEMBER 18th), while a humorous undertone sets the mood in the Paintings and Chairs group exhibition at Zepster Gallery.

Exhibition Highlights by Nicole Michaud

Art Spiel Picks: Philly Exhibitions in December 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

December is a gift of a month for exhibitions in Philadelphia. Those currently on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, African American Museum of Philadelphia, and Fleisher/Ollman Gallery are not to be missed. From macro scale celebrations to quiet personal yearnings in intimate moments, the works in these exhibitions explore the fullness and complexity of artists within and alongside Black contemporary life.

Exhibition Highlights by Andrew Fish

Art Spiel Picks: Boston Exhibitions in December 2024

Highlights

It’s the end of 2024 and a new year is upon us. As we go into the holiday season to celebrate, reflect, and make resolutions for a new year, let’s also remember to take time to see all the amazing art on view. In Boston, there are several knockout shows to catch while you’re out and about. Whether you’re gathering with friends or going to your favorite gallery’s holiday party, you’ll be spending time with family – chosen and inherited – to feel centered, grounded, and a sense of belonging. Family can be wondrously complicated and beautifully complex in its array of characters.

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Exhibition Review by Anna Shukeylo

Object Relations: Michael Gac Levin at My Pet Ram

As one enters My Pet Ram’s humble gallery space full of moderately-sized Gustonesque paintings, the viewer is transported into the surreal personal nooks and crannies of Michael Gac Levin’s reality. His paintings are heavily influenced by his family life. Familiar landscapes are juxtaposed with foreign characters and shapes. The artist tells a fantastical story in this new body of work through a day in the life of two characters embodied by an apple and a tree-like figure.